1. Field of the Invention
The present application relates, in general, to audiometry. The present application relates, in particular, to speech audiometry
2. Description of the Related Art
Audiometry is the testing of hearing acuity by use of an audiometer. An audiometer is an instrument for gauging and recording the acuity of human hearing.
There are various types of testing used in audiometry (e.g., pure-tone testing or speech-based testing). In pure-tone testing, a person is usually fitted with headphones or positioned between speakers, and thereafter a series of single-tone (or frequency) sounds are played back through the headphones or speakers. The person's responses to the played-back sounds are recorded (typically by a human tester, but sometimes by a machine), and an assessment of the person's hearing acuity is made on the bases of the person's responses. In speech-based testing, like in pure-tone testing, a person is usually fitted with headphones or positioned between speakers. However, unlike pure-tone testing, in speech-based testing a series of spoken words are played back through the headphones or speakers. The person's responses to the spoken are recorded (typically by a human tester), and an assessment of the person's hearing acuity is made on the bases of the person's responses.